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The federal Parliament has passed a number of laws which aim to protect people from certain kinds of discrimination in public life and from breaches of their human rights by Commonwealth departments and agencies.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has statutory responsibilities under these laws. We have the authority to investigate and conciliate complaints of alleged discrimination and human rights breaches lodged under these law

Age Discrimination Act 2004

The Age Discrimination Act 2004 helps to ensure that people are not treated less favourably on the ground of age in various areas of public life including:

employment

provision of goods and services

education

administration of Commonwealth laws and programs

The Act also provides for positive discrimination – that is, actions which assist people of a particular age who experience a disadvantage because of their age. It also provides for exemptions in the following areas:

Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986

The Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (formerly called the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 ). established the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (now known as the Australian Human Rights Commission) and gives it functions in relation to the following international instruments:

In addition, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner has specific functions under the AHRC Act and the Native Title Act,1993 to monitor the human rights of Indigenous people.

Sex Discrimination Act 1984

The Sex Discrimination Act 1984 gives effect to Australia's obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and certain aspects of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 156. Its major objectives are to

promote equality between men and women

eliminate discrimination on the basis of sex, marital status or pregnancy and, with respect to dismissals, family responsibilities, and

eliminate sexual harassment at work, in educational institutions, in the provision of goods and services, in the provision of accommodation and the delivery of Commonwealth programs.

From 1 July 2000 the Privacy Act 1998 is administered by the office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner. The Federal Privacy Commissioner is no longer a member of the Australian Human Rights Commission (previously known as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission or HREOC).

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner, which was the national privacy regulator, was integrated into the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) on 1 November 2010.